Ginger Shots
139 Comments
Sep 12, 2023
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
Ginger shots are intensely flavored drinks that deliver a super-concentrated burst of ginger juice. They’ve become very popular items at juice bars and grocery stores for their powerful anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, and antioxidant properties.
I used to buy ginger shots at the supermarket during the winter months, to help boost my immune system. But gosh are they expensive! So to save some money, I developed this copycat recipe to share with you and it’s spot on to the store-bought version.
These ginger shots are incredibly simple to make, plus you can customize the intensity of the ginger juice to suit your taste. All you need to make these healthy wellness shots at home is a high-powered blender and a fine-mesh strainer. They’re super easy to make!
Ginger Shot Ingredients
Similar to Kor brand (or other supermarket brand) wellness shots, there’s just 4 ingredients in this recipe:
- Ginger: For the strongest flavor, I recommend using fresh ginger root. But check out my tips below on using dried ginger.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice will always provide a brighter flavor than jarred lemon juice. So that’s what I use!
- Coconut Water: Coconut water adds a little natural sweetness to balance the pungent ginger lemon flavor.
- Cayenne Pepper: Just a pinch of cayenne pepper gives these shots a kick of heat, and it can also improve circulation and digestion.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below
How to Make Ginger Shots
You don’t need a fancy (and hard to clean) juicer to make ginger shots. Just pull out your high-powered blender and a fine-mesh strainer and whip them up!
- Wash and chop ginger root. No need to peel the ginger since you’ll be straining the juice before drinking it. Just roughly chop it to make blending easier.
- Juice fresh lemons. The bright citrus flavor of fresh lemon juice pairs well with the ginger and tastes much better than bottled lemon juice. It also gives you a healthy dose of Vitamin C.
- Blend until smooth. Blend the ginger pieces and lemon juice until no chunks of ginger remain.
- Strain well. Straining the ginger and lemon mixture helps remove bits of ginger peel and those pesky ginger fibers! To get the most juice, press the solids with the back of a spoon when straining.
- Serve. Ginger shots are meant to be drunk all at once as a quick shot. Be careful not to drink more than one shot a day since too much ginger can cause heartburn.
Health Benefits of Ginger
If ginger shots are new to you, let me give you a little background on the health benefits of ginger. Ginger is a flowering plant originating from China, and is related to turmeric, cardamom, and galangal. The underground part of the ginger stem has a long history in both traditional and alternative medicine. And ginger gets its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties from naturally high levels of gingerol.
Ginger has been used to treat nausea, indigestion, muscle soreness, and osteoarthritis symptoms. It also may help to lower blood sugar, improve brain function, and prevent heart disease. It’s a true superhero in the world of superfoods and one of my favorite anti-inflammatory ingredients. That’s why I also love making quick pickled ginger and adding it to meals.
Common questions
I prefer fresh ginger root in this recipe over ground ginger powder. Ginger root tastes almost spicy when eaten raw, while ground ginger has a more earthy flavor similar to ground turmeric. But, if you don’t have a high-speed blender, you can quickly make these ginger shots by whisking together ground ginger with the other ingredients.
Not going to lie, they do! The potent flavor compounds in fresh ginger can give you a fiery sensation in your mouth when drinking ginger shots. That’s normal, but you can always drink a little water afterwards.
Yes! To make your ginger shots even healthier, you can always tweak the recipe and add raw honey, turmeric root, aloe vera juice, pineapple juice, or apple cider vinegar.
More Healthy Drink Recipes
Want more recipes to help boost your immune system? Give these a try!
Enjoy these homemade ginger shots for a wellness boost! Once you make them, I’d love to hear what you think of them in the comment box below.
Ginger Shots (Better Than Store Bought!)
Description
Video
Ingredients
- ¼ cup ginger root, washed, roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup lemon juice, from 3 to 4 lemons
- ¼ cup coconut water
- pinch or two cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a high-powered blender. Put the lid on the blender, and process until the ginger and lemon juice mixture is smooth.
- Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer.
- Press on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much juice as possible.
- Pour the strained liquid into shot glasses and drink all at once.
Lisa’s Tips
- You can always double, triple, or quadruple this recipe and save the remaining ginger shots for up to one week in a sealed container in the fridge. I love to make an extra-large batch and then freeze leftovers in a Souper Cubes tray. If you use this small tray, a shot is equal to about 2 frozen cubes. You can then just thaw and enjoy as needed!
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted September 2020, but updated to include new information.
Absolutely love making this drink. I sometimes use the same recipe for my Whiskey Penicillin cocktail.
Super easy! recommend
Thanks Martina!
So glad I found this recipe! I immediately had to try. I forgot to buy coconut water so i just went with drinking water. Also added turmeric root in the mix.
But I’ve been wondering: will a ginger shot break my fast? I do intermittent fasting from 7pm to 11am. I wonder if taking this in the morning (7 or 8am) will break my fast
You can drink this whenever really, so it’s up to you!
These Ginger Shots are a must when my immune system takes a dive.
And it’s Yummy!!!
Yes, they’re so perfect for a healthy immune system. Glad you love them too!
I started making these during the first Covid winter and I make them every winter or whenever a Covid wave is going around. I used to get a sinus infection every single winter. Maybe it’s just a coincidence – but I haven’t been sick with so much as a cold since I started making them! I usually make a double batch on Sundays. If the store has fresh turmeric, I do half turmeric and half ginger. I’ll do a mix of whatever citrus sounds good – lemon, grapefruit, lime. I think orange makes it sweeter so it might be better if you find them to be too sharp.
Lisa, these shots have become an important part of my health and wellness. I love how affordable it is to make these from scratch instead of buying them. Thank you!
I’m so glad you love them and that they’ve helped you stay healthy! That’s wonderful to hear!
Hi Lisa : do you think it would lessen the potency if I add some strawberries or blueberries to mellow the taste a bit? I did find coconut water that has hardly any sugar and low carbs – but it’s not organic. I’m getting it anyway and hoping for the best.. I was looking for apple juice or other mild juice but again – too much sugar etc.
So I thought I’d make this more like a shake since I sometimes have had reflux and don’t want to feel the burn that much.
I’ll let you know how it goes. If you think it will ruin the effect, please let ME know. Thank you!
You can add fresh fruit to mellow out the potency. Some people have used pineapple!
I love this recipe I’ve been using for a while now but was curious about how much pineapple juice to add in, I want to try something new
It’s really just personal preference. I’d start with maybe 2 to 3 tablespoons and increase or decrease from there.
Just made some and added a bit more ginger. I used white pepper instead of cayenne because I didn’t have any in the pantry.
YUM YUM YUM!
Yay, glad you enjoyed this homemade version Sandy!
These are great! The 3x recipe made (6) 4oz bottles for me. So much cheaper than buying in store. I spent $9 not including glass bottle for storage.
Homemade ginger shots are the way to go! :)
How much ginger would i use, to make, say, 5,days in the fridge. Also, is fresh ginger best kept in fridge, or out
Many thanks for your recipes,
You can change the serving amounts in the recipe card to see how much each ingredient you need. As for storing ginger, I would keep it out of the fridge in a cool and dark place.
I am trying. Do you drink on a empty or full stomach?
You can do either, depending on how your stomach is!
CouldI grate the ginger? Not sure my blender is powerful enough. So excited to try this! Thanks
You can grate the ginger and blend it up after!
I made it for the first time and it’s so good. Thanks
I’m gonna give it a go does look easy and cheaper than shop brought
Hope you love these ginger shots Stevie!
Hi Lisa, great recipe! Out of curiosity, how big should each serving/shot be? I want to make sure I’m not overdoing my daily Ginger intake.
Hi Steve – there’s two servings in this recipe, and I believe they’re about 1/4 cup each. But I’ll measure it next time I re-make the recipe. :)
Hi Lisa, did you measure a shot size by any chance, is it 1/4 cup?
It’s just a smidge less, so probably about 3 to 3 1/2 tablespoons.
Hi so looking to make these. When do i add the coconut water? It’s doesn’t say or did i miss it thank you.
You place all of the ingredients into the blender at the beginning!
thank you for the recipe
Yummy.. I concentrated with extra ginger. And poured into Ice cube trays. In the morning pour coconut water over a cube.
Great idea!
Delicious
I made the shot and it was great! Thank you so much.
Glad you enjoyed these ginger shots Marisa!
Hi Lisa,
Approximately how many fl oz will each serving be ? Asking because I plan to make a bigger batch and store in my fridge but not sure what size bottles to get for storage. Thanks in advance !
Fantastic. Can’t wait!
Is it possible to make a batch? How long does this keep in the fridge x
You can double this recipe and save the remaining ginger shots for up to one week in a sealed container in the fridge.
I drink ginger shots daily helps keep the flu and colds away it also helps me get my day started.
Hi Lisa,
You mentioned using pineapple juice-would it be possible to sub the pineapple juice for the coconut water and still get similar benefits? I have the pineapple juice already on hand
Yep, that’s fine!
My blender recently broke. Will a food processor do the trick or will it not blend as smoothly as a blender would?
It won’t blend as smoothly I don’ think.
So shockingly good!! The spice from the shot reminded me of a real shot!! Back in my home town I was known as “The Slide” because them alcohol would go straight down my throat! I eventually got alcohol poisoning and has to stay weeks in the hospital and the doc told me to stop drinking. My life felt pointless. My throat dry and throbbing at the thought of some good old shots. When I saw this recipe my eyes grew wide. I drove my Honda to the local grocery store and bought all the ingredients to make this. I am so grateful I decided I was gonna try this because it was definitely a life-changing decision. Thank you so much for making this recipe and replacing my old alcohol habits. Will definitely be making this in the future for my younger kids who share a similar issue.